Resonance device for banjos



July 10, 1923. 1,461,596

- F. R. L. BERGE RESONANCE DEVICE FOR BANJOS Filed May 24. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 10; 1923. 1,461,596

F. R. L. BERGE RESONANCE DEVICE FOR BANJOS Filed May 24. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [77/ HPF QP I N VEN TOR.

A TTORNEY.

Patented July 10, 1923.

I FRANS R. L. IBERGE, OF PORT ANGELES, 'WASHINGTOhl.

RESONANCE DEVICE FOR BANJOS.

Application filed May 24, 1921. Serial No. 472,240.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, FRANs R. L. BERGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Port Angeles, in the county of Cla-llam and State of Washington, have invented certain new. and useful Improvements in a Resonance Device for Banjos, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to string musical instruments and more particularly to resonator attachments for banjos.

The 'object of the invention is to provide an attachment for a banjo capable of increasing or decreasing the volume of sound of the instrument at the will of the player and to generally improve the tone of the instrument.

A further object of. the invention is to provide a banjo attachment of such class, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, capable of being adjusted independently of the retaining and adjusting elements for the head of the instrument, for intensifying and modifying the tone thereof.

Another object is to provide an attaclr ment of this character which may be readily applied to a banjo already in use without in any way altering it.

It is well known that in damp weather the parchment head of a banjo becomes loose and flabby owing to the absorption of moisture thereby, resulting in the production ofa dull tone, and it is to overcome this slackness, as well as to restore the bright sharp tone of the instrument, is the function of the attachment in accordance with this invention, and the latter is so set up that the slackness can be taken up to agreater or less degree, as required, in such away that the tone volume may be increased without in any way injuring the head of the banjo.

Broadly speaking this invention comprises a yieldable member adapted to be engaged with a fixed part of the banjo and to bear against the inner side of the head, to exert an outward pressure thereon sufficient to take up the slackness therein, as well as to vibrate the sound transmitted to the attachment. The point of contact between the pressure member and the head lies substantially only in that portionof the area of the head which is between the neck and the string supporting bridge of the instrument. This is an important feature of the invention since if that pressure contact be exerted be tween the bridge and the tail piece, the re sult would be a damped or muted tone instead of the sharp increased tones caused by the use of this attachment.

lVith these and other objects in View the invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereinafter shown and described and then specifically pointed out in the claims, and in the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 represents a plan view ofa banjo provided with an attachment in accordance with this invention, the attachment being shown in dotted lines, since it is mounted on the rear face of the banjo head, the neck of the banjo being broken off. for convenience in illustration.

Fig. 2 represents a rear elevation of the attachment detached and with the banjo stick or dowel shown in operative relation thereto.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. at, is a front elevation of one member of the attachment detached, and

Fig. 5 is a detail transverse section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2.

The banjo to which this invention is shown applied includes the usual rim 1, over which is stretched the head 2, held in place by adjustable bracket screws 3. Through the center of the drum so formed runs the dowel or stick 4, which is rigidly connected with the neck 5, and with the opposed side of the rim 1. On the head 2, is the string supporting bridge 6, arranged near the tail piece 7.

The foregoing is the usual construction of instruments of this class and will be well understood by those skilled in the art.

The attachment constituting this invention comprises, a thin flat wooden member 10, including sector shaped heads 11 and 12, having the pointed ends thereof extended toward each other and connected by a rectilinear neck 18, as shown clearly in Figs. 2 and 4. This member 10 may be constructed of any suitable wood preferably of maple and may be varnished, shellacked or finished in any desired manher.

The curved outer ends of the sectors 11 and 12, are bevelled on their outer faces as shown at 1 1, and provided on their inner ii I) faces with transversely extending rectilinear shoulders 15, spaced inwardly from the curved edges of the heads forming in advance of said shoulders recesses or cutaway portions 16, the shoulders forming abut ments for arcuate supporting members 20 and 30 presently to be described. The opposite ends of these shoulders 15 are inclined inwardly as shown at 17, and against these inclined portions the inner faces of the members 20 and 30, are designed to abut as is shown clearly in Fig. 1.

Each of the heads 11 and 12, is also provided on its inner face with a transversely extending string supporting rib or bridge 18, between which and the shoulder 15, is arranged a plurality of transversely extending spaced alined headed studs 19, around which is threaded a fine wire 19*, one end of said wire being secured to the end stud of one series and the other end of said Wire being secured to the end stud at the opposite side of the other head, said wires resting on the bridges 1S and being designed for a purpose presently to'be described.

Metal wear plates 21 are countersunk in the rear face of. the member 10, at the junction of the sector shaped heads 11 and 12, with the neck 13, and against which are designed to bear thumb screws 22 operable through a disk shaped member 23, constructed of a thin wooden plate and having a strengthening strip 2%, of metal arranged transversely across the outer face thereof and through which the screws 22 operate, as is shown clearly in Figs. 2 and A seat 25 extends transversely oi the outer face of the disk 23, and intersects the strip 24k, in a plane at right angles thereto and is designed to receive the stick or dowel 4, of? the banjo between which and the head 2, the attachment constituting the invention is located. The strip 24 not only protects and strengthens the disk 23 but also provides sufiicient head for the two set screws 22 and intensifies or modifies the sound of the instrument which is accomplished by tightening or loosening the two screws 22 instead of having to tighten or loosen all oi: the screws in the instrument head.

The arcuate supporting and vibration absorbing members 20 and 30, as shown in Fig. 1, are designed to be mounted against the rear or inner face of the head 2, being so positioned as to avoid extending across the space between the bridge and the tail piece, which would operate to dampen or mute the tone of the instrument, instead of increasing the tone volume for which purpose this attachment is intended.

These two members 20 and 30 are exactly alike, and hence one only will be described in detail.

Each of these members 20 and 30, is composed of a wooden strip preferably of maple,

bent in the form of a bow and adapted to be positioned edgewise against the head 2 of the banjo on the inner face thereof. A plurality of eyes 26, are carried by the inner face. of each member 20 and 30, at the opposi'te ends thereof and are longitudinally spaced as shown clearly in Fig. 3.

A fine wire 27, is threaded through the oppositely disposed eyes 26 as is shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2, connecting the ends of the member 20 and the member 30 in. the manner of the string of a bow. Four eyes 26, are shown at each end of these arcuate members although obviously the number may be varied. The inner edges of the members, 20 and 30, are made. rectilinear and designed to lie flat against the head 2, of the banjo while the outer edges at the ends thereof. are bevelled or tapered as shown clearly at 28, in Fig. 3.

In applying this attachment the members 20 and 30, are first arranged flat against the inner face of the head 2, on opposite sides of the plane occupied by the strings as shown in Fig. 1, and the member 10, having the fine wire 19 arranged longitudinally thereon, is mounted on these members 20 and 30, with the wire carrying face thereof positioned toward the head 2, and with the cut away portions of the inner faces of the heads 11 and 12, resting on the central portions of the members 20. and 30, with the ends 17, of the shoulders 15 thereof, abutting the inner faces of said members 20 and 30. (See the dotted lines in Fig. 1.) The screw carrying disk shaped member 23, is then positioned over the neck portion of the member 10 with the screws 22 engaging lates 21, 0 said member 10 and with the owel or stick 4 of the banjo positioned in the seat 25, of said disk, as is shown clearly in Fig. 2. Vith this attachment so positioned, the screws 22, may be tightened up whereby the curved ends of the heads 11, and 12, are caused to bear on the members 20 and 30. causing them to contact throughout their length against the head 2 of the banjo, and thereby take up any slack in saidhead as well as to absorb any vibrations thereof. The vibrations imparted to the members 20' and 30, are transmitted through said members to the member 10, and to the wires 19 thereof, as well as to the wires 27, on the members 20 and 30, thereby increasing or decreasing the sound of the tone. The wires 19 perform the double function of strengthening the tone of the instrument as well as breaking up echoes, in the same manner as acoustic wires in large halls and buildings.

Obviously the tightening or loosening of the screws will operateto force the members 20 and 30, against the head 2, or to loosen them in relation thereto at the will of the operator thereby increasing or decreasing the volume of sound.

It will thus be seen that this attachment is readily attachable to a banjo and removable therefrom without altering or in any Way changing any part of the banjo.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed in the drawings and set forth in the specification, but it will be understood that any modifications within the scope of the claimed invention may be made in the construction without departing from the principle of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

What is claimed is 1. A resonance attachment for banjos and the like comprising spaced pressure members for contact with a banjo head, said members being provided with metallic strings, said strings connected with said members, a member spanning and resting on said spaced member and provided with metallic strings, means for holding the strings out of engagement with each other, and means for varying the contact between said spanning member and the pressure member whereby the volume of sound may be increased or diminished.

2. In combination with a banjo or the like, resonance attachment engaged with the stick between the bridge and the neck of the instrument, and comprising arcuate supports located on opposite sides of the banjo stick and spaced therefrom in contact with the banjo head, a yieldable bar span ning and resting on said arcuate members, said arcuate members and spanning bar each provided with metallic strings, said strings connected with said arcuate members, a member inovably engaged with said bar under said banjo stick and having a seat to receive the stick, and set s rews extending through said stick engaging member and bearing against said spanning bar whereby the pressure of said bar on said arcuate members may be increased or diminished at the will of the operator.

3. As an article of manufacture an attachment for banjos and the like comprising a pair of arcuate wooden strips adapted to be disposed edgewise against the inner face of the banjo head with their concave portions facing each other and spaced apart, a wire positioned within and strung to each of said strips, a wooden bar spanning the space between said strips and adapted to rest on the outer edges thereof, said bar having shoulders on its inner face for engagement with the inner faces of the arcuate strips, bridges arranged transversely on the ends of said bar inside said shoulders, metal strings strung longitudinally of the bar and resting on said bridges, and means for holding said bars adjustably engaged with said arcuate strips.

4. As an article of manufacture an attachment for banjos and the like comprising a pair of arcuate wooden strips adapted to be engaged edgewise with the inner face of the banjo head, a wire arranged within and strung to each of said strips, a thin wooden bar spanning the space between said strips, said bar having sector shaped heads with longitudinally arranged wire strings mounted on its inner face, a disk-like wooden plate to rest on the center portion of said bar and having a seat on its outer face to engage the inner face of the banjo stick, and set screws threaded through said disk like plate and engaging said bar for varying the pressure of the bar on said arcuate strips and thereby controlling the pressure of said members on the banjo head.

5. A resonance device for banjos comprising a pair of stringed arcuate pressure exerting elements, a stringed spanner member resting against said elements, and means for varying the contact between said member and elements.

6. A resonance device for banjos comprising a pair of stringed arcuate pressure exerting elements adapted to be positioned against the head of the instrument, a stringed spanner member resting against said element, and means supported by the bow or stick of the instrument for varying the CO11- tact between said member and elements.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature hereto.

FRANS R. L. BERGE. 

